Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Hydrangea



I think summer is all about hydrangea. Spring is peony time--which I adore, and soon I will post about my 120-year-old peonies--but it's time now to plant additional hydrangea, and you can never have too many.

Mother's Day was a chance for me to add to my ever-growing collection. I prefer the blue.



Hydrangea is also bursting forth elsewhere...




My love of these beautiful plants dates back to my New England family roots...summers on the Cape featured the most magnificent hydrangea. There's just something about the soil and salty air there that really make hydrangea-growing almost effortless. No need for acids to turn the blooms blue.


Our Cape handiwork: Have you ever seen them this enormous?



They're ideal as a walkway complement...this house was a neighbor of ours on Shore Road in Chatham...and it became famous as the "hydrangea house."


This new batch of four plants will likely go in a solid line down near the patio. This year I am also updating all the cushions on the cast-iron chairs and chaises, along with the porch wicker. I have ordered a perfect hydrangea-blue.

They also make a gorgeous addition to a bouquet or cut flowers in a vase. My daughter loves to put them with lilacs.

Planting away,
ABL

12 comments:

Pink Champagne said...

Gorgeous! Hydrangeas are my favorite and will be plentiful at our August Cape Cod wedding. The perfect summer seaside flower!

Let The Tide Pull Your Dreams Ashore said...

Hydrangeas are my favorite flowers! xx

JMW said...

I love hydrangeas! They are gorgeous in landscaping, as well as in bouquets.

Lauren H Edmondson said...

I adore hydrangeas as well! They were the only flower featured in my June wedding :)

Anne Lake said...

Best wishes to Pink Champagne on your Cape wedding plans! What a setting that will be!

XOXO

Anne

Beaufort Belle said...

I too adore peonies (can't wait for that post) and hydrangeas. We planted several along the side of our home last year. Unfortunately, dear husband forgot about them and all died. They would have been beautiful in that location. I plan to try again. I think I will ask my daddy to come till up the same area and I will plant them myself and follow the instructions for initial planting and hopefully next year have some gorgeous florals! "Cuz unfortunately this suthern girl knows nothin' bout birthin' no gardens!" :(

Summer is a Verb said...

Hydrangea and peonies...who needs anything else? Well, maybe boxwood but, I could die I happy death surrounded by those three bushes...XXOO

Anonymous said...

They're beautiful! Hope you had a wonderful Mothers Day!

bevy said...

Hydrangeas are my favorite. We carried them when we got married and had them all over our reception.

I just, in fact, planted two in our back yard yesterday!

Nishant said...

I love hydrangeas!
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Muffy said...

GORGEOUS! I JUST put my hydrangea in a new pot this weekend. They are such a joy.

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